MLive says: “Michigan certainly has no shortage of impressive lake views with lighthouse backdrops. If you find 5th Avenue Beach, you've found one such view. This really is the perfect beach for a summer day with your family (or just a good book). There's a picnic area, a playground, restrooms and a concession area to compliment the sandy beach and the Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse, which has a walkable pier.”
September 13, 2020
I was on my way downstate from Petoskey, after spending a weekend on Beaver Island. The weather was warm and sunny, so I took a spontaneous detour toward Manistee.
This particular trip included a very on-brand changing into my bathing suit in the front seat of my car, after arriving at 5th Avenue Beach. The wind was strong, the waves were big, but I found my way into the icy water anyway to get in another swim before it got dangerously cold for the season. I received a lot of fun looks from folks on shore, who were bundled up in hoodies and windbreakers. I ran the waves in my bikini and then laid on the beach to dry, soaking up the sun on this 70 degree day.
After I spent some time drying in the sand, I took a walk down the pier to enjoy the lighthouse and the waves splashing on the break wall. When waves crash on a break wall the way they were on this particular day, I like to think that the big lake is saying hello to me in its own special way. I absolutely basked in it, as I stood on the pier and admired the lake.
I kept my detour brief, as my stomach was grumbling for dinner already and I still had a few hours on the road to get back home. I said a big Miigwetch to the lake, pulled another scandalous parking lot change to get out of my damp bathing suit, and hit the road for home.
